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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. spell — a short time
  5. degree — an amount
  6. staff — employees
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ball — a dance
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. row — a line
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. spell — magic
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. row — to paddle
  19. spell — letters
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. degree — from a university
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com